"I think I've got her once or twice, but I think she let me," Minyon said. "I think she could tell my feelings were really hurt, so she let me win."

There's little sugar coating between these highly competitive sisters, who lead the Pride (30-6) into the CIF Open Division championship game against Long Beach Poly (26-3) at 6 p.m. Saturday at Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento.

"We've done it before, but it gets pretty intense," Pezzola said. "It's hard to get a lot done. It's obvious they love each other, but even more so that they are both absolute warriors and hate to lose."

With both at 100 percent, the Pride have lost only once this season.

The Louisville-bound Mariya, a do-everything 5-foot-11 senior forward, was out with the flu for two losses. And Minyon, a quick 5-7 point guard, was brought back carefully after enduring a torn ACL in each knee as a 15-year-old.

She injured her left one during the summer before her freshman year. Then, in her second game back, during last year's state Division IV, she tore her right ACL.

The plan was for Minyon to rest her knees at Salesian in time for the AAU campaign in the spring. "But we have eight seniors. It was my last chance to play with Mariya. I had to play."

Early on, it was two minutes on the court, 15 minutes off. The workload progressed, and about a month ago Minyon felt like herself.

"Now I have no fear," she said.

She had 15 points and three steals in a 61-42 NorCal semifinal win at St. Mary's-Berkeley last week, followed by 13 points, six assists and three steals in a 78-64 win over Miramonte-Orinda.

In both games, Mariya (who averages 17.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 3.6 steals per game) struggled offensively early and Minyon took that cue to take over scoring duties.

"Her energy level was amazing," Pezzola said. "When you have both Mariya and Minyon at full speed, that level is pretty much over the top."

Mariya said Minyon and her teammates will need 100 percent to beat a very tall and talented Poly team that is ranked fourth in the country.

"It will hit me hard that day that this will be my last high school game," Mariya said. "But once the game starts, it will be time to grind and stay composed and do whatever we need in order to win."